Author: clarissa.aljentera
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How parishes can better welcome the littlest Catholics
Sarah is a new Catholic and joined the Catholic Church in 2020. (Sarah is uncomfortable using her last name in this story, as she hasn’t yet shared with many people that she converted from being Protestant.) She recently took her 4-year-old and 2-year-old to Mass at a nearby parish without her husband, who works weekends.… Read more
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Simbang Gabi is joyous — and a reminder of Filipinos’ complex history with Catholicism
There’s something beautiful and stunning about rising at 4:30 a.m. and walking through the predawn darkness to attend Simbang Gabi, a yearly nine-day Advent novena that began in the Philippines. The novena typically starts on Dec. 16 and runs through Dec. 24. Catholic churches are lit with parol, a star-shaped lantern that originated in the… Read more
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Why We Pray the Examen Each Night with Our 11-Month-Old Son
Most evenings, when it comes time for our nightly prayer, our Examen, my husband and I snuggle close with our 11-month-old son and trace the sign of the cross on his forehead and then on ours. I know that my son may have no memory of these evening prayers, but I like the ritual: the… Read more
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From Mother to Daughter: Carrying Out Compassionate Leadership
Being born into an extended family with more than 50 first cousins meant never having a shortage of playtime friends and sports buddies. It was easy to come to a family gathering and find my place, as my brother and I were on the younger end of the 55 first cousins. We were born into… Read more
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I’m a Filipina American and racism makes me afraid for me, for my family
I could be the next victim of anti-Asian hate. I am a Filipina American living in Chicago. Following one of the latest violent attacks against Asian Americans — a 65-year-old Filipina beaten by a stranger as she walked to church in Manhattan — I thought about my mother and aunties. I have so much anger,… Read more
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Finding Romance in the Simple Moments of Life
Sharing a home-cooked meal and cleaning up the kitchen afterward aren’t Hollywood’s ideas of a winning Rom-Com, but I’ve found that those genuine moments nurture love and create space for authentic conversations. Being a foodie, I enjoy preparing meals with my boyfriend. We nurture “us” through food. The simple act of going out of my… Read more
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Mass Mobs: Crowdsourcing the Eucharist
Imagine walking into Sunday Mass and finding an extra 500 people crowded in the pews and spilling into the aisles. No, it’s not Easter. It’s a Mass mob. The concept is taken from the popular flash mobs that invite strangers via social media (sometimes hundreds, thousands, even millions!) to participate in a group action. Flash… Read more
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Course Correction: My journey from journalism to campus ministry
Tired and worn down, I gave in to the call. There is no easy way to explain the winding road I took through eight years of journalism, eight newspapers and five states before I arrived in college campus ministry. But I know that every interview with an athlete, grieving family member and pushy school superintendent… Read more